A variety of gas sterilization methods have been investigated in the past. Methods using ethylene oxide and other disinfecting gases are used for sterilizing a wide range of medical products ranging from pharmaceutical preparations to surgical instruments. Irradiation alone or together with disinfecting gases has also been investigated, as summarized by Russell, A. THE DESTRUCTION OF BACTERIAL SPORES. New York: Academic Press (1982) .
A sterilizing method must effectively kill all organisms, including spores, without damage to the article or goods being sterilized. However, irradiation methods and disinfecting gases such as ethylene oxide, which meet this criteria, are now recognized to expose workers and the environment to safety hazards. State and Federal legislation are severely restricting the amount of hazardous gases such as ethylene oxide (a carcinogen) in the working environment and the use of any system or method which produces toxic residues or exhaust products. This is causing a major crisis in hospitals and in other areas of the health industry.